Mac Mini's Upgradability

Since the last major redesign of the Mac mini, Apple has made it relatively easy to upgrade the internals of the computer. With a new model finally available, Apple has made a major change in this regard [Source: iFixit]. The RAM is now upgradable, while it used to be soldered down. CPU and storage are soldered, meaning it isn't easy to upgrade them. Storage used to be able to be upgradable, so this is a bit of a hinderance.

The Latest Mac Mini is Four Years Old

The desktop lineup of Macs has long been neglected, aside from the iMac. It's hard to recommend most of these computers because they haven't been updated in so long. The latest Mac Mini is four years old yesterday [via MacRumors]. It was released October 16, 2014. Even then, it was just a refresh. For reference, I was a sophomore in high school when this came out, and now I'm a sophomore in college. It's quite fitting that we have rumors suggesting this wait is nearing its end. If we do have an October event this month, Apple may finally update the Mac Mini. 

The Mac Mini's Future

With the Mac Mini not getting an update for over three years now, many are questioning the future of the computer. The Mac Mini lets users bring their own accessories, like a display and keyboard. For this reason, it's very affordable compared to other Apple products. Tim Cook has responded to an email addressing the state of the machine [Source: MacRumors]. He states that it will be "an important part of our product line moving forward."

Apple Removes 2012 Mac Mini From Apple Online Store

After strangely appearing on the Apple Online Store yesterday, the 2012 model Mac mini has been removed. There has been no statement on the matter. It may have been a miscommunication or, for all we know, a hack. Since these models are sold in the refurbished section of the store, it may have been an accident. Many people would've been pleased to see a quad-core Mac mini available for purchase, but it was strange that it shipped with OS X Mavericks, an operating system that is outdated.

Image Credit: MacRumors

Apple Sells 2012 Model Mac Mini On Apple Online Store

In a strange move, Apple has decided to sell a 2012 model Mac mini on their online store. Although it does have a quad-core Intel i7 processor and Intel HD Graphics 4000 (unique to this model), it only has 2.3GHz (gigahertz) and 4GB of RAM. What's more, it comes with OS X Mavericks. I've never seen Apple intentionally ship a new Mac with an old version of their software. It costs $699.99. You can find it in the Apple Online Store. It's not known if this is a mistake or a way to get quad-core processing back to the Mac mini.

Image Credit: MacRumors

iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, Apple Pay, and New Macs: The Scoop

Today, Apple announced a bunch of new stuff. Let's do a quick review, shall we?

iPad Air 2

iPad Air 2

The new iPad Air 2 is 18% thinner and features Touch ID. The display has the least reflective display of any tablet in the world and has a resolution of 2048 by 1536. This iPad also has a 64-bit architecture and an A8X chip. The camera also has a long overdue update with an 8 megapixel camera and burst mode.

iPad mini 3

The iPad mini 3's spotlight is on Touch ID. While it has a 64-bit architecture, it only features an A7 chip. In addition, it still has a 5 megapixel camera. A small update for the iPad mini 3, but it's not like the camera is an essential feature on the iPad anyways. Try it if you just want to browse and shop on the web.

Apple Pay

Apple Pay will come out on Monday (along with iOS 8.1). More vendors have been added along with more banks and compatible apps.

iMac with Retina 5K Display

iMac with Retina 5K Display

Wow. Where to begin? This makes the Mac Pro look "so five minutes ago." 5K! That's a lot of pixels. About 14 million pixels. But this Mac isn't just focused on looks. It can have up to 4 gigahertz with your i7 processor, 3.5 teraflops of computing power, and 20 gigabits of speed with Thunderbolt 2.

Mac mini

This Mac mini costs $100 less than its predecessor. It's now $499. It has some minor tweaks including new Intel Core processors, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Thunderbolt 2 ports, and all that good stuff.

New Mac Mini Coming Soon?

Apple has updated their support page for Boot Camp. Big deal? Absolutely! If you look closely, you'll find a listing for a "Mac mini (Mid 2014)." There is no mid 2014 model of Mac mini yet. While it could be a mistake, Mac mini hasn't been updated since October of 2012. With an update, Mac mini would probably have Haswell processors, faster PCI Express-based flash storage, and 802.11ac WiFi.

Update: The listing for the new Mac mini has been removed.